1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object information processing apparatus having a function to divide an object depending upon brightness information and/or a function to divide an object depending upon distance information, in extraction of object information, and also to a remote apparatus arranged to transmit signals through wire or radio to or from the information processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 9 is a block diagram to show the schematic construction of a conventional example in the field of industrial instrumentation etc., and the prior art is explained referring to FIG. 9.
An imaging device 102 picks up an image of a region represented by 101 in a process or operation, and a signal of the image thus picked up is subjected to A/D conversion in an A/D circuit 103 and the signal after the A/D conversion is further subjected to any one of some processes as matters now stand.
For example, a lightness distribution processing circuit 104 first produces the equivalent of the histogram indicated by numeral 105. This distribution table shows a brightness distribution of the image, which is a distribution (of numbers) of pixels against brightness on the vertical axis. Here, numeral 107 represents an area of a portion brighter than a determination level 106 automatically or preliminarily determined. The area of the portion 107 is then output to a content measuring circuit 108, which performs automatic instrumentation of the area (=content) of a white portion in the field. Further, based on the automatic instrumentation, automatic adjustment is carried out for an element of the process, such as adjustment of mixture ratio, for example.
Further, a lightness group processor denoted by numeral 109 groups adjacent pixels, as taking pixels with similar lightnesses as a group, and obtains a distribution of areas of the groups as a result of grouping, thereby obtaining a distribution of areas as indicated by numeral 110 with the scale for area on the vertical axis in the drawing. A measuring circuit 111 then obtains an area of numbers of similar lightness groups from this table to perform automatic instrumentation of not only a content of different lightnesses, but also a distribution of sizes, that is, grain sizes, thereby carrying out adjustment of the process, such as adjustment of agitation time.
If samples have a fixed shape, a reference pattern circuit 112 supplies a pattern of the shape, a coincidence discriminator 113 performs a coincidence check with the pattern, and a counting circuit 114 obtains a number of coincidences so as to count a number of samples coincident with the pattern, thereby counting a number of bolts, nuts, etc., or a number of red blood cells in the blood.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram to show the schematic construction of another conventional example, which was reported in a research report as to automated traveling or the like of a car or robot. It is explained below referring to FIG. 10.
An imaging device 122 is set on a traveling object 121 such as a vehicle, and a next-stage distance detector 123 obtains data of a measured distance. With this data of a measured distance, a selective calculator 124 takes steering information from a steering state output circuit 125 into consideration to obtain a traveling forward distance and a traveling side distance in a forward distance calculation circuit 126 and a side distance calculation circuit 127, thereby performing an automatic determination of a path from a correction of steering or adjustment of velocity.
Further, the report describes the following. The image information from the A/D converter 128 and the data of a measured distance from the distance detector 123 is supplied to an analyzer 129, which extracts a white line on a road (including extrapolation or interpolation thereof) as xe2x80x9cone white and long in the forward directionxe2x80x9d. A steering control circuit 130 performs automatic steering from curvature of the white line in the forward direction to keep a distance thereto. A steering control circuit 132 performs steering or adjustment of velocity while similarly supplying the data to an analyzer 131 and extracting a xe2x80x9crail or guardrailxe2x80x9d thereby.
The conventional examples, however, were unable to handle complicated patterns existing in the external field in a wide range, because they detected the luminance using A/D values of small dynamic ranges for simplification.
Because of this, calculation of area was likely to be affected by a fine density difference, for example. Further, since recognition was based only on limited patterns, they had a drawback that they were unable to handle a variety of patterns, though processing was simple.
One aspect of the application is to provide an object information processing apparatus which can extract only necessary object information from the field by a simple distance calculation and which can display the object information in a form useful to framing by a photographer.
One aspect of the application is a remote apparatus which can display object information in a form useful to framing by a photographer performing remote control.
One aspect of the application is to provide an apparatus which comprises distance measuring means for measuring distance information of each of areas preliminarily set in a field, photometry means for measuring brightness information of the field, and signal processing means for detecting a characteristic part on the field from the respective distance information and the brightness information and extracting object information by comparing the characteristic part with standard object information on the field on this occasion, wherein the distance information is obtained for each of area units obtained by roughly dividing the field, the characteristic part occupying inside the field is detected from the distance information and brightness information of the field, and the object information (e.g., the size of the object, a number of persons, etc.) is extracted based on coincidence between the characteristic part and the standard object information.
One aspect of the application is to provide an apparatus which comprises distance measuring means for measuring distance information of each of areas in a field set, photometry means for measuring brightness information of the field, and signal processing means for dividing the field into a plurality of areas, based on the brightness information from the photometry means, obtaining a plurality of distance information by the distance measuring means in accordance with the areas thus divided into, extracting a characteristic part on the field from the distance information and the brightness information, and comparing the characteristic part with standard object information on the field on this occasion to extract the object information, wherein the field is roughly divided into areas, based on the brightness information from the photometry means, the distance measuring means obtains distance information in these areas, the characteristic part occupying inside the field is detected based on the distance information and the brightness information of the field, and the object information (e.g., the size of the object, a number of persons, etc.) is extracted based on coincidence between the characteristic part and the standard object information.
One aspect of the application is to provide an apparatus which comprises display means to which the object information is transferred from the object information processing apparatus, thereby displaying the information, wherein the object information (e.g., the size of the object, a number of persons, etc.) is displayed on display means on the side of a remote apparatus used in remotely controlling the object information processing apparatus.
One aspect of the application is to provide an information processing apparatus using a distance measuring apparatus for dividing a scene into different areas thereof and measuring distances of an object in the respective areas, wherein the apparatus is provided with a first processing circuit for obtaining characteristic data of the scene depending upon distance measurement results in the respective areas, a memory circuit for storing data of a reference, and a second processing circuit for specifying a state of the object or the object itself in the scene, based on the data from the first processing circuit and the data in the memory circuit, thereby determining a condition of the scene.
One aspect of the application is to provide an information processing apparatus using a distance measuring apparatus for dividing a scene into different areas thereof and measuring distances of an object in the respective areas, wherein the apparatus is provided with a first processing circuit for forming data indicating a distance map of the object in the scene in accordance with distance measurement results in the respective areas, and a second processing circuit for specifying a state of the object or the object itself in the scene, based on the data from the first processing circuit, thereby determining a condition of the scene.
One aspect of the application is to provide an information processing apparatus using a distance measuring apparatus for dividing a scene into different areas thereof and measuring distances of an object in the respective areas, wherein the apparatus is provided with a first processing circuit for obtaining a distribution of areas occupying far distances and areas occupying near distances in the scene with a border of a predetermined distance in accordance with distance measurement results in the respective areas, or an area ratio therebetween, thereby determining a condition of the scene.
One aspect of the application is to provide a processing system having a distance measuring apparatus for obtaining a distance of an object in a scene, wherein the system comprises a display device, provided separately from the distance measuring apparatus, wherein data obtained by the measuring apparatus is transmitted to the display device in non-contact with the measuring apparatus, and information processed is displayed in the remote display device.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from embodiments thereof as explained referring to the drawings.